YL8 Ethics 2010-2011

Instructions to Students

Subject Description

Ethics in Year Level 8 is the culmination of the Ethics in Health Care course that
spans the four years of the student’s stay in the ASMPH. Its objective is to give the
students an opportunity to apply the knowledge culled from the previous year levels
in actual ethical dilemmas observed or experienced. These dilemmas may be
conflicts arising from within the person about situations encountered in the course
of hospital rotations OR observed ethical dilemmas arising from external
circumstances in which the student may or may not be a participant. Using the
knowledge and skills learned in the previous year levels, he/she is expected to
arrive at ethical solutions supported by logical reasoning.

Prerequisites

The student must have completed and passed the Ethics subject in YL5, 6, & 7.

Learning objectives:

Knowledge::
By the end of the semester, the student must know:
1. All information pertinent to the ethical dilemma
2. All relevant information obtained from previous Ethics sessions must be
correlated to the case.

Skills:
By the end of the semester, the student must be able to
1. Do good careful fact deliberation.
a. They must be able to identify who the different stakeholders are and
all details particular to the case.
b. They must be able to identify the different ethical frameworks that are
operating and appreciate the different perspectives.
c. The student must be able to identify his/her own perspective and be
aware of his/her own bias.
2. Identify the conflicting values in the dilemma in the format
“_____________ value” versus “______________value”

3. Identify the different courses of action available

a. He/She must be able to identify the extreme courses of action
b. He/She must be able to identify the intermediate courses of action

4. Choose the best course of action

a. He/ she must be able to defend it using logic & reasoning.
b. He/she must be able to defend it by identifying his chosen ethical
framework and/or the principles.
 c. He/she must be able to subject his/her chosen course of action to the
different tests of validity (Legality, publicity, time) and the choice
should be able to pass all these tests.

5. The Student must be able to give a detailed plan of action that will implement
adequately the chosen action.

Attitudes:
The student must demonstrate the following attitudes in his/her execution of his
ethical decision-making:
a. Prudence
b. Respect for persons
c. Temperance
d. Diligence

Mechanics:

In one year, each student identifies at least 2 ethical dilemmas encountered in their
clinical rotations. The student does a short written summary of the cases. The
student together with his/her group meets their assigned ethics faculty member
three times in the year. The meetings are allotted three hours and take place on a
Saturday afternoon usually but not necessarily during the Surgery, Pediatrics and
Medicine rotations During these meeting, two members of the group present their
cases. The choice of who presents is decided among the group members. After the
presentation, the student writes a solution to the dilemma based on the discussion
in a manner that incorporates the steps for ethical decision-making. Submission of
the case discussion is done within two weeks after the meeting where the case was
discussed.

Grading System:

1. Case Discussion of one ethical dilemma – 50%

2. Summary of second ethical dilemma- 20%
3. Participation in case discussions-30% (Attendance is part of the grade)